Absorbent articles, such as disposable diapers and incontinence garments, have included elasticized leg bands or leg cuffs. For example, conventional elasticized leg band diaper designs have been shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,462 issued Sept. 27, 1977 to L. Woon et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,528 issued Apr. 27, 1982 to L. Ryan et al.
Supplemental elastic members have been attached to the inner, bodyside liner layer of an absorbent article. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,877 issued May 5, 1987 to F. Williams.
Supplemental elasticized flap members have been incorporated into disposable diapers. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,278 issued Sept. 22, 1987 describes a disposable diaper having dual cuffs at each side of the diaper. U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,116 issued Nov. 3, 1987 to K. Enloe describes a diaper having elasticized flaps which form side pockets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,704,115 issued Nov. 3, 1987 to K. Buell describes a disposable waste containment garment having elasticized side flaps. The side flaps provide leakage and guard gutters having closed ends and longitudinally elasticized distal edges.
Conventional designs for absorbent articles have included flap members which are elasticized at their distal edges and which are configured to stand upwardly away from the main body of the article. It has, however, been difficult to efficiently and economically manufacture an absorbent article having the desired elasticized flap members. With one conventional technique, each elasticized flap section is formed as a separate component and is then assembled into the absorbent article. Such a technique, however, may be excessively complicated, can require additional materials for assembling the flap member into the article and may require additional controls to regulate the assembling operation.
To more efficiently form to an elasticized flap in an absorbent article, it has been desirable to form the elasticized flap section from a single, unitary portion of the liner material and to concurrently integrate the elastic member at the desired location in the flap section. Conventional manufacturing techniques, however, have not been sufficiently able to efficiently and economically form the integral elasticized flap section from a unitary layer of web material.